26th day of Spring, 510AV
The Spinning Coin
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, really." Cathan looked up to the man at the table. Thirty five summers his master was old, not a tall man, but sturdy, his blond hair bleached from the sun's all to frequent kiss. Furs lay spread out on the oak wood table; fox, sable and ermine, bag they had made in the north. The man was sorting through them, examining the pelts with expert eyes.
"So?" Mahar lowered the rust red coat of a yearling fox, hazel eyes searching for the other man. The casual glance let the Kelvic sit up in an instant. Had he been in his wolf form his ears might have perked up now, instead he watched the older man intently.
"I did not mean to doze off." The younger man scratched his neck, picking up the deer hide he should have checked for flaws. He had half fallen asleep over it instead. Sullen he looked from the large pile of yet to be inspected skins towards the other man. Hunting was fun Cathan had to admit, but why hunters were so much more interested in the fur than the meat he did not understand. Still watching, he cleared his throat. "Can I get some money?"
The shapeshifters stare was met with a smirk. "Sure. Give me a moment."
"I just thought I would buy some -"
"You don't have to tell me what you need it for." From a red buckskin bag the man took ten gold rimmed coins placing them on the table for Cathan to take. "See it as your share of our last hunt."
Hesitantly the Kelvic reached out for them. The concept of getting paid for work done was still new to him and yet he liked the metal's weight in his hand. He was unsure of how many things he could buy with the coins, but he was sure it was more than he had bought in his entire life before – which was nothing.
Coins pocketed, Cathan already headed for the door. In the frame he turned a last time. "I... will be back later."
It was warm outside, surprisingly so for early spring. The sky was of a faint blue and the aftertaste of snow which had still been hanging in the air a day ago had almost fade away. In the woods the first trees must have burst in leaves, the ground filling with the first flowers of the year. In the stone maze of Syliras it was hard to tell. A window might have helped to tell for sure, only Cathan was not looking for one of those. The Kelvic tried to find something to spend his hard earned money on, something worthwhile. He did not have to search for long.
What he bought however was mostly trumpery. In his try to get as much as he could for his coin he shied spending more than a few silver at once. Two hours later his meager booty consisted of a new pair of shoes, two pears he bought for Mahar, a few polished stone pebbles, a scarf he was not sure he had the intention to wear as well a thinner travel blanket to sleep on at night.
"You should take it. It's cheap."
A young girl of twelve gestured towards a small bottle of glass, shining in the afternoon sun. Smears of red tattooed the vial like crimson veins. Or wine tendrils. The man was unable to tell. Already about to reach out to touch it, the discouraging gaze of an old saleswoman stopped him in the last second.
"It is empty," the Kelvic observed.
"It is also very pretty," the young red head added in.
"I am not sure seven gold rimmed coins is cheap however."
"Sure it is, unless you don't have That much." The child starred into his face a long moment. "Oh." Silence was about to spread when the girl suddenly reached for his sleeve. "Oh, I know where you can make money." She lowered her voice. "...but you have to go alone. My mother doesn't want me to go there. She is mean like that." A small finger was pointed was pointed down a narrow street. "Its the free staying house down there. One can make money easily in it."
"You sure?" Cathan watched her critically. From what he knew money should not be made easily. Most of the time you worked a lot and got nothing, Mahar liked to say so all the time.
The girl tilt her head to the side. "Mother seems to think that's not true," she admitted slowly. "My father however says she would just not understand it. Since she is a woman." Her green eyes pierced into his golden. "So... you should be good to go."
The place was easily found. Like the girl had asserted it stood free, making it one of the few buildings within the city fitting the Kelvic's idea of a house. Judging from the flow of people the location was well visited, yet Cathan did not enter just yet. Instead he rounded the structure once, before stepping to a window, peering inside.
The Spinning Coin
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, really." Cathan looked up to the man at the table. Thirty five summers his master was old, not a tall man, but sturdy, his blond hair bleached from the sun's all to frequent kiss. Furs lay spread out on the oak wood table; fox, sable and ermine, bag they had made in the north. The man was sorting through them, examining the pelts with expert eyes.
"So?" Mahar lowered the rust red coat of a yearling fox, hazel eyes searching for the other man. The casual glance let the Kelvic sit up in an instant. Had he been in his wolf form his ears might have perked up now, instead he watched the older man intently.
"I did not mean to doze off." The younger man scratched his neck, picking up the deer hide he should have checked for flaws. He had half fallen asleep over it instead. Sullen he looked from the large pile of yet to be inspected skins towards the other man. Hunting was fun Cathan had to admit, but why hunters were so much more interested in the fur than the meat he did not understand. Still watching, he cleared his throat. "Can I get some money?"
The shapeshifters stare was met with a smirk. "Sure. Give me a moment."
"I just thought I would buy some -"
"You don't have to tell me what you need it for." From a red buckskin bag the man took ten gold rimmed coins placing them on the table for Cathan to take. "See it as your share of our last hunt."
Hesitantly the Kelvic reached out for them. The concept of getting paid for work done was still new to him and yet he liked the metal's weight in his hand. He was unsure of how many things he could buy with the coins, but he was sure it was more than he had bought in his entire life before – which was nothing.
Coins pocketed, Cathan already headed for the door. In the frame he turned a last time. "I... will be back later."
♦ ♦ ♦
It was warm outside, surprisingly so for early spring. The sky was of a faint blue and the aftertaste of snow which had still been hanging in the air a day ago had almost fade away. In the woods the first trees must have burst in leaves, the ground filling with the first flowers of the year. In the stone maze of Syliras it was hard to tell. A window might have helped to tell for sure, only Cathan was not looking for one of those. The Kelvic tried to find something to spend his hard earned money on, something worthwhile. He did not have to search for long.
What he bought however was mostly trumpery. In his try to get as much as he could for his coin he shied spending more than a few silver at once. Two hours later his meager booty consisted of a new pair of shoes, two pears he bought for Mahar, a few polished stone pebbles, a scarf he was not sure he had the intention to wear as well a thinner travel blanket to sleep on at night.
"You should take it. It's cheap."
A young girl of twelve gestured towards a small bottle of glass, shining in the afternoon sun. Smears of red tattooed the vial like crimson veins. Or wine tendrils. The man was unable to tell. Already about to reach out to touch it, the discouraging gaze of an old saleswoman stopped him in the last second.
"It is empty," the Kelvic observed.
"It is also very pretty," the young red head added in.
"I am not sure seven gold rimmed coins is cheap however."
"Sure it is, unless you don't have That much." The child starred into his face a long moment. "Oh." Silence was about to spread when the girl suddenly reached for his sleeve. "Oh, I know where you can make money." She lowered her voice. "...but you have to go alone. My mother doesn't want me to go there. She is mean like that." A small finger was pointed was pointed down a narrow street. "Its the free staying house down there. One can make money easily in it."
"You sure?" Cathan watched her critically. From what he knew money should not be made easily. Most of the time you worked a lot and got nothing, Mahar liked to say so all the time.
The girl tilt her head to the side. "Mother seems to think that's not true," she admitted slowly. "My father however says she would just not understand it. Since she is a woman." Her green eyes pierced into his golden. "So... you should be good to go."
♦ ♦ ♦
The place was easily found. Like the girl had asserted it stood free, making it one of the few buildings within the city fitting the Kelvic's idea of a house. Judging from the flow of people the location was well visited, yet Cathan did not enter just yet. Instead he rounded the structure once, before stepping to a window, peering inside.
